STATUETTE D'AMITAYUS EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE PARCELLEMENT LAQUÉ DORÉ
DYNASTIE QING, MARQUE À SEPT CARACTÈRES ET ÉPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-95)
An inscription in Chinese around the front rim of the base, translated: 
'The Buddha of Infinite Life.';
An inscription in Chinese at the reverse of the base, translated: 
'Practice and Conduct are Foundational.' 
Himalayan Art Resources item no. 1812
16.5 cm (6 1/2 in.) high 
Footnotes:
A PARCEL GILT LACQUER COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF AMITAYUS   
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG SEVEN-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-95) 

Provenance 
American Private Collection, acquired in China prior to 1940, and thence by descent. 

Seated with the elixir of long life in his lap is Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, whose gentle countenance reflects his compassion and desire to save all sentient beings. Invoked for his ability to prolong the lifespan of devotees, Amitayus was an especially popular subject of worship for the Manchu rulers of China. Depictions of this deity were often made in groups as celebratory birthday gifts whenever an emperor or a member of the royal family reached a milestone in age. This practice first began with the Kangxi emperor (1662-1722) and continued under the reign of his equally famous grandson, the Qianlong emperor (1736-95), who presented thousands of Buddhist images to his mother on the occasion of her 60th, 70th, and 80th birthday.  

As indicated by the seven-character reign mark, 'Made with reverence in the Qianlong era of the Great Qing', this parcel-gilt bronze belongs to an incredible group of works located in one of eight Buddhist halls within various palaces of the empire. Only two of these halls have been documented, both of which are located in the Forbidden City: the Tower of Precious Forms, or Baoxianglou (published in Clark, Two Lamaistic Pantheons, 1937), and the Hall of Buddhist Efflorescence, or Fanhualou (published in, Fanhualou – Statues in the Sanctuary of Buddhist Essence, Vols. I-II, 2013). Each hall originally contained a configuration of 787 sculptures for private imperial use, with the Baoxianglou pantheon completed in 1771, honoring the Empress Dowager's 80th birthday and the Fanhualou pantheon in 1774 which would later become Qianlong's retirement palace. Both iconographic programmes were conceived by Rolpai Dorje (1717-86), the highest-ranking Gelugpa lama in the Qing court as well as Qianlong's personal teacher and childhood friend. Due to the sheer number of images that were required for each location, these bronzes convey differences in artistic training and preference. Some emulated the rounder features of early Ming statuary, whereas in the case of this figure, the beak-like nose and pointed chin draw a connection to Mongolian artists following in the style of Zanabazar (1635-1723). For examples of Qianlong bronzes bearing a seven-character reign mark in past auctions, see two sold at Sotheby's, New York, 17 March 2015, lot 376; and 16 March 2016, lot 371; as well as a third sold at Christie's, New York, 22 March 2007, lot 215. 

局部漆金無量壽佛銅像
清 乾隆（1736-95年） 「大清乾隆年敬造」款
蓮座正面下沿刻「無量壽佛」；背面刻「功行根本」

來源
美國私人收藏，1940年前得於中國，後由家族傳承

此尊雙手持寶瓶之造像為無量壽佛，其溫和面容展現慈悲與拯救一切眾生之大願。由於其延年益壽的能力，無量壽佛在中國滿清統治者中乃是廣為流行的崇拜對象。無量壽佛像通常是在慶祝皇帝或皇室成員大壽時，作為賀禮而成組製作的。這一做法始於康熙皇帝（1662-1722年），並在他同樣著名的孫子——乾隆皇帝（1736-95年）統治時期得以延續，後者為其母六十、七十、八十大壽獻上了數以千計的佛教作品。

正如其七字款識「大清乾隆年敬造」所示，這尊局部漆金銅像屬於一組令人驚嘆的作品，它們被供奉於皇宮內的八間佛樓之一。八間中僅有兩間佛樓被記錄成書，二者均位於紫禁城內：寶相樓（見Clark著，《Two Lamaistic Pantheons》，1937年）與梵華樓（見王家鵬主編，《梵華樓藏寶 ‧ 佛像》，全二冊，2013年）。每間佛樓最初都供奉了787尊皇家私用造像。寶相樓眾佛像於1771年完工，以賀太后八十大壽；而梵華樓之神佛殿堂則於1774年完工，後成為乾隆退位寢宮的一部分。此二次造像工程皆由若必多傑（1717-86年）設計，其為清廷最高階格魯派喇嘛、乾隆的私人上師兼童年好友。由於每間佛樓所需作品數量龐大，這些銅像因諸多藝術家們所受訓練或個人偏好不同而呈現不同風格。有些作品效仿明初造像的面目圓潤的特徵，而這尊佛像的尖狀鼻子和下巴則與承襲扎納巴扎爾（1635-1723年）風格的蒙古藝術家們有關。刻乾隆七字年款之銅像，可參見紐約蘇富比於2015年3月17日（拍品376）和2016年3月16日（拍品371）所呈現之兩件拍品，以及紐約佳士得於2007年3月22日（拍品215）拍出之另一例。
Lot to be sold without reserve.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: *
* VAT on imported items at a reduced rate of 5.5% on the hammer price and the prevailing rate on buyer's premium if the item remains in EU.

TVA sur les objets importés à un taux réduit de 5.5% sur le prix d'adjudication et un taux en vigueur sur la prime d'achat dans le cas où l'objet reste dans l'Union Européenne.
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Excellent condition overall, with some scratches and minor casting flaws underneath the edge of the lotus base. There is a rectangular-shaped repair to a casting flaw located at the lower edge of the lotus base nearest to the figure's left knee that was made at the time of the object's production. Embedded dust in recessed areas and reddish residue to the back of the figure's crown from exposure to Chinese incense. Remains of lacquered gold pigment in the body and face, blue pigment in the hair, black and white pigment in the eyes, and red pigment in the lips, fingernails, and toenails. The piece survives with its original and undisturbed consecration plate.
Please contact Alvina Ang (Alvina.Ang@bonhams.com) for related condition report images and video.